Washing-machine.



S. L. MELLOR.

WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 6, 1914.

1,280,061., Patented Sept. 24, mm

3 susns sncn 1.

S. L. MELLOR.

WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION nuzo APR.6, m4.

Patented Sept. 24, 191&

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

S. L. MELLOR.

WASHING MACHINE. APPucAndn men mm. 1914.

1,280,061 Patented Sept. 24, 1918..

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3. 50 I era % PATENT SIDNEY L. MELLOR, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

WASHING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 24L, 1918.

Application filed April 6, 1914. Serial N 0. 829,977.

particular to washing machines of the rotating cylinder type.

The principal object of my invention is to provide an improved washing machine of the type referred to in which the cylinder may be made to rotate-alternately in opposite directions and in which means are provided for agitating the contents of the cylinder during each period of reversal of said cylinder. Other objects will be set forth and made apparent in the following specificatiom of which the accompanying draw-- ings form a part.

In the drawings- Figure 1 shows a top plan view of my improved washing machine.

Fig. 2 shows a partial end elevation of the same showing particularly the operating mechanism.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 3, 3 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows showing the plunger rod and compression and suction apparatus in elevation.

Fig. 4 shows a partial enlarged end elevavation of the driving and power shifting mechanism.

Fig. 5 shows a plan view of the same.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional detail view of a locking device taken on the line 6, 6 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged transverse section of the clutch sleeve and associated parts showing the shaft. and clutch lever in eleation.

Fig. 8 shows a vertical section through the bell member and parts carried by the plunger rod with the piston slightly out of normal position; and

Fig. 9 shows a partial top plan view of the same.

Like numerals refer to like parts and elements in the several figures of the drawings. in which the reference numeral 10 designates a tank of semi-cylindrical shape comprising the cylindrical shell 11 and the end walls 12 and 13. The tank 10 is supported on legs 14 and each end wall 11 has arms 15 projecting from opposite sides thereof in which are mounted rods 16 extending longitudinally of the machine by means of which the machine may be lifted from the floor and carried from one position to another.

Rotatably mounted within the tank 10 is the drum or cylinder designated generally by the numeral 17, which comprises end walls 18 and a cylindrical portion 19, which is made up of a plurality of longitudinal strips or slats 20, spaced apart to leave relatively narrow apertures therebetween so that the water or other washing fluid contained within the tank 10 may readily enter the interior of the cylinder 17. The rotating cylinder 17 is mounted concentrically with the cylindrical portion of the tank 10 by means of stub shafts 21 which are fixed to the end walls 18 of said cylinder, and which are journaled in the end walls 12 and 13 of said tank. The rotating cylinder 17 is provided with a door 22 which is hinged thereon at the points 23 and latched in closed position at point 24. This door serves to provide an aperture through which the clothes to be washed are introduced into the interior of the cylinder.

The cylindrical portion 19 of the rotating cylinder 17 is provided with a slot 25, which extends in a plane at right angles to the axis of said cylinder, preferably around half of the periphery thereof. Metal bands 26 are secured to the slats 20 adjacent said slot thereby lending rigidity to the construction of the cylinder. A cross head 27 made up.0f parallel plates 28 is mounted above the tank 10 parallel to the axis of the cylinder 17 and is supported by guide rods 29 at each end of the tank which are adapted to reciprocate in guides 30 fixed to the end walls 12 and 13. Secured between the plates 28 of the cross head 27 is a plunger rod 31 which extends downwardly through the slot 25 into the interior of the cylinder 17. The lower end of the plunger rod 31 is secured by means of the rivets 32 to a piston 33, which is adapted to reciprocate in a cylinder 34; The'cyliuder 34 carries a bell member 35 the lower end of which projects downwardly beyond the extremity of the cylinder 3%. The piston is provided with the usual annular grooves 36, in which are mounted piston rings 37, whereby a close contact is maintained between said piston and said cylinder. The upper end of the cylinder 34 is threadedly engaged by a cap member 38, which has an inwardly projecting annular flange 39 adapted to seat upon the upper end of said cylinder. The cap member 38 is provided with ventilating apertures 40 at intervals on the periphery thereof. A coil-spring 41, which surrounds the plunger rod 31, is seated upon the piston 33 and secured thereto by means of the clips 42. The upper end of said spring extends into the sleeve portion 43 of the cap member 38 where it is'engaged by the inclined annular projection 44 formed on the sleeve 45 reciprocably mounted on the plunger rod 31.

The washer 48 extends over the sleeve 45 and seats upon the annular shoulder 49. formed on the sleeve portion 43 of the'cap member 38. A nut 50 threadedly engages the upper portion of the sleeve 45 and maintains the parts carried thereby in fixed relation to each other. It is apparent from the above description that if the bell member 35 meets resistance when lowered into the cylinder 17 the continued application of power to the plunger rod 31 will cause the piston 33 to pass downwardly within the cylinder 34, at the same time extending the spring 41, which will thereafter tend to return the piston33 to its normal position contacting with the flange 39 at the upper end of the cylinder 34.

The rotating cylinder 17 and the plunger rod 31 with the parts carried thereby are operated by the means now to be described. The end wall 12 of the tank 10 has pivoted thereto, and spaced slightly therefrom, a plate 51 which serves as a bearing for one end of a shaft 52, the other end of which projects through and is journaled in a bracket 53, which is also secured to the end wall 12. A crank handle 54, or a driving pulley,,is keyed on the outwardly projecting end of said shaft. Two sprocket wheels 55 and 56 are rotatably mounted upon the shaft 52 between the plate 51 and the bracket 53. An operating arm 57, which is made up of the parallel-plates 58, is fixed on said shaft between said sprocket wheels and extends to a point adjacent the periphery of said sprocket wheels.

A cam wheel 59 is journaled between the plates 58 adjacent the outer ends thereof and comprises a hub portion 60 and the four outwardly projecting arms 61, which are spaced 90 apart. The hub portion 60 extends through the plates 58 and has formed on the outer ends thereof two cam plates 62 and 63 lyin in planes which are at rightangles to eac other and'which substantially bisect the angles between the arms 61. The cam plates 62 and 63 are so located that when either of them lies in a plane extending radially through the axis of the shaft 52, said plate will contact with one of the lugs 64 or 65, which are formed on the respective sprocket wheels 55 and 56. The arrangement of parts is such that when one of the cam plates contacts with the lug carried by its corresponding sprocket wheel, the other cam plate, which lies in a plane 90 thereto, will just clear the other lug formed on the opposite sprocket wheel. Thus the rotation of the shaft 52 will cause one or the other of the sprocket wheels 55 or 56 to be carried around with the operating arm 57 depending upon the position of the cam wheel 59.

The position of the cam wheel 59 is determined by an outwardly projecting flange 66 which is formed on the plate 51. As the cam wheel is carried around by the arm 57 the arms 61 will successively contact with the flange 66 which lies in the path of the outer ends of said arms and thus with each revolution of the operating arm 57 one of the arms 61 will contact with the flange 66 and thereby shift the cam wheel and the cam plates 62 and 63 by an angle of 90. A ratchet 67 is pivoted between the plates 58 and has a tooth 67 a which is adapted to coact with the ends of the arms 61 to prevent backward rotation of the cam wheel 59 after said wheel has been shifted by the flange 66. The ratchet 67 is maintained in operative position. by means of the spring 68 which is secured to the hub portion of the operating arm 57. A toothed lug 69 '(see Fig. 6) is secured to the outer face of the sprocket wheel 55 and is adapted to. be engaged by a spring tooth 70, secured to the bracket 53, at the instant that the cam wheel 59 is actuated to throw the cam plate 62 out of engagement with the lug 64 so.

that at the end of the next following revolution of the operating arm 57 the lug 64 willhave been retained in position to be again engaged by the cam plate 62 when the cam Wheel 59 is actuated. The sprocket wheel 56 is retained in position during the interval when the sprocket wheel 55 is rotating by means of a roller 71 carried by the clutch lever 72. The clutch lever 72 is pivoted at .the point 73 between two outwardly projecting plates carried by the plate 51 and the end of said lever opposite the roller 71 is engaged by a spring 74 which is fixed to the plate 51 and which normally operates to force the roller 71 inwardly toward the sprocket wheel 56. A depression 75 is provided on the inner face of the sprocket wheel 56 adjacent the periphery thereof and in such a position that the roller 71 will pass into said depression and hold the sprocket wheel 56 in fixed position at the instant that the cam plate 63 passes out of engagement with the lug 65.

At the end opposite the shaft 52 the plate 51 carries a sleeve 76, which projects through the wall 12 and has journaled therein the shaft 77 The end wall 18' of the rotating cylinder 17 is provided adjacent the end Wall 1201 the tank 10 with an arcuate plate 78, which is concentric with the shaft 21 of said cylinder and which is provided with outwardly projecting, teeth 79. U-shaped plates 80 are secured to the end wall 18 around each end of the arcuate plate 78.

A pinion 81 is fixed on the inner end of the shaft 77 and is adapted to coact with the teeth 79 carried by the plate 78. The inner end 77 of the shaft 77 beyond the pinion 81 is reduced in cross section, being adapted to coact with the plate 78 and pass between said plate and the U-shaped plates 80. It is apparent that the notation of the shaft 77 and the action of the pinion 81 upon the teeth 79 will cause the cylinder 17 to be rotated continuously in one direction until the reduced portion 77 of the shaft 77 coacts with one of the U-shaped plates 80 and passes arolind one end of the plates 78. As soon as the reduced portion 77 of the shaft 77 passes around one end of the plate 78 the pinion 81 will mesh with the teeth 79 from the opposite side of said plate so that the rotation of the cylinder 17 will thereafter be in the opposite direction until the shaft.

passes around the other end of the plate 7 8.

A vertically extending slot 82 is provided in the wall 12 around the shaft 77 so that said shaft may reciprocate in said slot at the instant when the portion 77 of the shaft 77 passes around one end of the arcuate plate 78. The plate 51 is pivoted on the end wall 12 to permit the above described movement. The sprocket 83 is rotatably mounted on .the shaft 77 adjacent the plate 51 and an endless sprocket chain 84: operatively connects this wheel with the sprocket wheel 56. A clutch pinion is fixed to the sprocket wheel 83 and is adapted to be engaged by the clutch sleeve 85, which is slidably but non-rotatively mounted on the shaft 77. The clutch sleeve 85 has an annular groove 86 therein which is engaged by the projecting arms 87 of the clutch lever 72 previously described.

From the foregoing description it is apparent that when the clutch lever 72 is operated to throw the sleeve 85 into engagement with the sprocket 83, the sprocket wheel 56 will, through the agency of the sprocket chain 84, operate to drive the shaft 7 and rotate the cylinder 17. When the clutch lever 72 is thus operating to cause 'rotation of the cylinder 17 the roller 71 carried by said lever will be coacting with the inner face of the sprocket-wheel 56, as said wheel rotates. At the instant when the cam wheel 59 is actuated to stop the rotation of the sprocket wheel 56 theroller 71 will drop into the depression 75 by virtue of the action of the spring 7 1 and at the same time the clutch sleeve 85 will pass out of engagement with the sprocket 83. The shaft 77, and all parts carried thereby, will then be free to rotate, since tlfiefsprocket 83 is rotatably mounted on said s a t.

The sprocket wheel 55 is operatively connected by means of an endless sprocket chain 88, to a sprocket wheel 89, which is fixed on a shaft 90 adjacent the lower portion of the tank 10. The shaft 90 is journaled in bearings 91 and extends beneath the tank 10 to the other end thereof. A crank arm 92 is fixed on the shaft 90 adjacent the sprocket wheel 89 and is pivoted at 94 to a connecting link 95 the other end of which is pivotally connected to the vertical guide rod 29, previously described. A series of holes 93 are provided in the crank arm 92 so that the efiective length of said crank arm may be varied by making the pivotal connection 9% in any one of said holes as desired. A similar crank arm 92is fixed to the shaft 90 at the other end of the machine, as shown in Fig. 3, and a similar connecting link 95 operatively connects said crank arm with the vertical guide arm 29 at the other end of said machine. It is apparent that as the sprocket wheel 55 is rotated to drive the sprocket wheel 89 the,

crank arms 92 and connecting links 95 will operate to reciprocate the guide rods 29 and thereby raise or lower the plunger rod 31 and the parts carried thereby within the cylinder 17 At the end of the machine opposite the driving mechanism a coil spring 96 is connected to the arm 92 at the point 94, the other end of said spring being secured to the guide for the arm 29 adjacent the upper part of the end wall 13. This spring is adjusted to be put in tension when the arm 92 is in its lowermost position so that after the dead-center position is passed the spring will have a tendency to elevate the crosshead 27 and parts carried thereby, thus lessening the power which must be supplied, from the driving source during this period of the' operation of the machine.

The operation of my machine is as follows: Assuming that the cam plate 63 is in position to contact with the lug 65 on the sprocket wheel 56, it is apparent that the rotation of the shaft 52 will cause the operating arms 57 to carry the sprocket wheel 56 around through one revolution, the roller 71 coacting with the inner surface of the sprocket wheel 56 during said revolution. At the same time the clutch sleeve 85 will be in engagement with the sprocket wheel 83 which will be driven through the agency of i plete revolution of the shaft 52 the cylinder 17 will have been rotated until one end of the slot 25 is adjacent the plunger rod 21.

Referring to Fig. 4 it will be seen that the sprocket wheel 56 is nearing the end of the revolution described. One of the arms 61 is beginning to contact with the flange 66 and the depression 75 is approaching a position beneath the roller 71. A further rotation of the shaft 52 will cause the rotation of the cam wheel 59 until the. cam plate 63 passes out of engagement with the lug 65, at which time the arm 61, which is disposed 180 from the one shown contacting with the flange 66, will engage the tooth 67 of the ratchet 67. The cam plate 62 Will then be in engagement with the lug 64, while the cam plate 63 will just pass the lug 65 so that during the next revolution of the shaft 52 the .arm 57 will cause the rotation of the sprocket wheel 55, thereby actuating the sprocket wheel 89 and causing the crank arms 92 to pass around into the positlon shown in Figs. 2 and 3. In the position of the crank arms just referred to it will be seen that the plunger rod 31 has been lowered so that the bell member 35 contacts with the clothes in the lowermost portion of the cylinder 17. After said bell member has contacted with the clothes a further move ment of the crank arms and further lower ing of the plunger rod 31 will cause the piston 33 to move downwardly within the cylinder 34, thereby expelling the air from said cylinder and from the bell. member through the clothes'and water beneath said bell member. During this latter portion of the downward movement of the plunger rod 31 the spring 41 will have been put in tension so that when the crank arms 92 are in their lowermost positions the spring 41 will be extended and will exert a pressure tending member.

to restore the piston 33 to its initial position with respect to the flange 39 at the head of the piston 34. Such movement of the piston to its initial position will take place as soon as the crank arms 92 have passed beyond the dead center position, thereby drawing in air and water through the mouth of the bell member-35 and causing a churning effect among the clothes in the lower part of the cylinder 17. During this movement of the piston 33 with respect to the cylinder 34 the apertures 40 in the cap member 38 serve to permit the free passage of air to and from the interior of the cap so that the movement of the piston 33 is not restricted by the formation of a vacuum above said After the piston 33 has returned to its initial position with respect to the flange 39 a further upward movement of the crank arms 92. will elevate the bell member 35 out of contact with the contents of the cylinder 17 at the bottom thereof. \Vhen said upward movement has been completed it will be found that one complete revolution of the shaft 52 has been made so that one of the arms 61 is again about to be actuated by the outwardly projecting flange 66. Further rotation of the shaft 52 will actuate said cam wheel 59, causing a rotation thereof through 90 and turning the cam plate 63 into position to again engage the lug 65. As the rotation of the shaft 52 is further continued the sprocket wheel 56 will rotate, throwing the roller 71 out of engagement with the depression 75 and thereby throwing the clutch sleeve 84 into operative position so that a further rotation of the shaft 52 will cause the rotation of the cylinder 17. By this time the end 77 of the shaft 77 will have passed around one end of the arcuate plates 78 so that the rotation of the cylinder 17 will now be reversed.

It is thus apparent that the cylinder 17 is alternately driven in opposite directions and that between each alternation thereof a means is provided for causing a churning or agitation of the contents of said cylinder. It is also obvious that the rotation of the cylinder in either direction, as well as the reciprocation of the clothes agitator, is caused by the continuous operation of the shaft 52 in one direction. My machine may be conveniently and easily operated by hand, but it is, of course, apparent that the handle 54 may be removed and the shaft 52 con nected up with any suitable source of power.

In order that the clothes contained within the cylinder 17 will always be in the lowermost portion thereof and beneath the bell member 35 when said member is lowered through the agency of the plunger rod 31, 1 have provided the clutch sleeve 85 with its associated parts, whereby during the period when the plunger rod 31 is being actuated the sprocket wheel 83 will be released so that the shaft 77 and the parts carried thereby may freely rotate within said sprocket wheel. Thus as soon as the rotation of the cylinder 17 has ceased and the clutch sleeve 85 has passed into inoperative position, the weight of the clothes within the cylinder 17, which may have been carried around by the rotation of the cylinder, will operate to cause a slight backward rotation of the C 'll1l(lQI' until the clothes assume a position beneath the bell member Thus the clothes within the cylinder 17 are always in position at the proper time to be acted upon by the bell member 35 and the piston which is actuated therein.

From the foregoing description it is apparent that I have provided an improved method of washing clothe by the aid of machinery. The rotation of the cylinder 17 alternately in opposite directions causes a marked circulation of the water within the tank 10 and causes a wide range of movement of the clothes through the water .us the cylinder passes from one extreme position by the appended claims.

I claim: v

1. In a machine of the character described, a tank, a cylinder rotatably mounted in said tank, means operatively connected to one end wall of said cylinder to rotate said cylinder, means to reverse the-direction of rotation of said cylinder periodically, and automatic means actuated independently of said reversing means for periodically arresting the operation of said first-named means.

2. In a machine of the class described, a tank adapted to contain a washing fluid, a vessel adapted to c0ntain clothes, said vessel being mounted within said tank, means acting intermittently to cause a rotary movement of said vessel within said tank and a bodily movement of said-clothes within said vessel, and means acting in alternation with said first-named means for causing a flow of air and water through said clothes. I

3. In a machine of the character described, a tank, a cylinder rotatably mounted in said tank, means to rotate said cylinder and to reverse the direction of rotation thereof periodically, and means to agitate the contents of said cylinder during the period of reversal.

4:. In a machine of the character described, a tank adapted to contain water, a perforated cylinder adapted to contain clothes rotatably mounted in said tank, means to rotate said cylinder and to automatically reverse the direction of rotation, thereof, and means to agitate the contents of said cylinder during each period of reversal.

5. In a machine of the character described, a tank adapted to contain water, a perforated cylinder adapted to contain clothes rotatably mounted in said tank, means to retate said cylinder and to automatically reverse the direction of rotation thereof, said cylinder having an arcuate slot therein, a

plunger rod mounted to reciprocate in said slot, a clothes agitator carried by said plunger rod within said cylinder, and means to reciprocate said plunger rod and thereby agitate said clothes during each period of reversal of said cylinder.

6. In a machine of the character described, a tank adapted to contain water, a perforated cylinder adapted to contain clothes rotatably mounted in said tank, means to retate said cylinder and to automatically reverse the direction of rotation thereof, said cylinder having an arcuate slot therein, a plunger rod mounted to reciprocate in said slot, a bell member mounted on the end of said plunger rod within said cylinder, a second cylinder mounted in said bell member, a piston carried by said plunger rod and adapted to reciprocate in said last named cylinder, means to lower said plunger rod during the period of reversal of said perfo rated cylinder until said bell member compresses the clothes in the lower portion of said perforated cylinder, said piston being arranged to move downwardly in said second named cylinder after said bell member has come into contact with said clothes, means tending to return said piston to its normal position with respect to said bell member, and means to raise said plunger rod and the parts carried thereby out of contact with said clothes before said perforated cylinder begins to rotate in the opposite direction.

7. In a machine of the class described, a tank, a cylinder rotatably mounted therein, means for agitating the contents of said cylinder, a continuously operated driving means, and means to cause said driving means to alternately rotate said cylinder and actuate said agitating means.

8. In a machine of the class described. a tank, a cylinder rotatably mounted therein, means for agitating the contents of said cylinder, a continuously operated driving means, means to cause said driving means to alternately rotate said cylinder and actuate said agitating means, and means to reverse the direction of rotation of said cylinder after each rotation thereof.

9. In a machine of the character described, a tank, a cylinder mounted therein, means for agitating the contents of said cylinder, means by which said cylinder is rotated,- means by which said agitating means is actuated, a continuously operated driving means, and means operating automatically to cause said driving means to alternately drive said cylinder rotating means and said actuator of said agitating means.

10. In a machine of the character described, a tank, a cylinder mounted therein, means for agitating" the contents of said cylinder, means by which said cylinder is rotated, means by which said agitating" means is actuated, a continuously operated driving means, means to cause said driving cate in said cylinder, a driving shaft, an operating member fixed on said shaft, 2. wheel mounted on said shaft and operatively connected to rotate said cylinder, a second Wheel mounted on said shaft and operatively connected to reciprocate said clothes agitator, and means whereby said operating member is caused to drive said wheels in alternation.

12. In a machine of the class described, a

tank, a cylinder rotatably moun 21 therein,

a clothes agitator mounted to reciprocate in said cylinder, a driving shaft, an operating member fixed on said shaft, a Wheel mounted on said shaft and operativel connected to rotate said cylinder, a secon wheel mounted on said shaft and operatively connected to reciprocate said clothes agitator, means whereby said operating member is caused to drive said Wheels in alternation, and means to retain one of said wheels in fixed position'while the other is being driven.

13. In a machine of the class described, a rotatable drum, a slot in said drum transversely to the axis thereof, a plunger rod mounted to reciprocate in said slot, a piston secured to said rod, a cylinder in which said piston is mounted, a continuously operated driving means, and means to cause said driving means to alternately rotate said drum and actuate said rod and said piston.

14:. In a machine of the character described, a tank, a cylinder mounted therein, said cylinder having a slot in its cylindrical wall transversely to the axis of the cylinder, a reciprocating clothes-agitating member having an arm projecting through said slot,

means to rotate the cylinder, and means to reciprocate the arm of said clothes agitator.

15. In a machine of the character described, a tank, a cylinder mounted in said tank, means to rotate said cylinder, slidably mounted means movable transversely to the axis of said cylinder and located therein to agitate the contents thereof, and means for actuating said slidably mounted means.

16. In a machine of the character described, a tank, a cylinder mounted therein, means for rotating said cylinder and automatically reversing the direction of rotation thereof, means to agitate the contents of the cylinder during the period between each rotation thereof, and means to permit said cylinder to rotate freely during the period when the contents thereof are being agitated.

17. In a machine of the character described, a vessel adapted to contain clothes and a washing fluid, means to agitate the clothes in said vessel and a clothes pounder mounted to reciprocate in said vessel at substantially right-angles to the axis thereof, said clothes pounder comprising a member adapted to engage the clothes, and means located in said member for causing a flow of air and Water through said clothes adjacent said member.

In testimony whereof I have subscribed my name.

' SIDNEY L. MELLOR.

Witnesses GLEN E. SMITH, HENRY A. PARKS. 

